Monty Bennett’s name will not appear on the ballot for the Tarrant Regional Water District board of directors yet he remains a powerful backstage player whose influence could shape the direction of the district’s business for years to come.

Lancaster Avenue near Interstate 35 will close twice this month as Tower 55 rail improvement work takes place.

As part of the project, Union Pacific Railroad is expanding the rail bridge running above Lancaster near I-35. Citing motorist safety concerns, Fort Worth city officials said that both westbound and eastbound lanes of Lancaster will close during construction above the roadway.

The closures are set for Aug. 13-16 and Aug. 20-24. On those days, both the eastbound and westbound lanes of Lancaster at the rail bridge will be closed to through traffic. The lanes will reopen at 6 a.m. on Aug. 17 and Aug. 25.

The following are traffic detours announced in a city news release:

Westbound: Westbound traffic will be directed south on the I-35 access road to Hattie Street. Follow the detour signs and turn right (west) on Hattie Street. Follow Hattie Street as it turns into Pennsylvania Avenue and turn right (north) onto Henderson Street. The detour will end as Henderson reaches Lancaster Avenue.

Eastbound: Eastbound traffic will detour off of Lancaster Avenue at Henderson Street heading south. Turn left (east) at Pennsylvania Avenue and continue eastward as Pennsylvania becomes Hattie Street. Cross over I-35 and turn left (north) onto the I-35 frontage road. The detour will end as the I-35 frontage road reaches East Lancaster Avenue.

The Tower 55 project is a public-private partnership involving Union Pacific Railroad, BNSF Railway, the city of Fort Worth, the Texas Department of Transportation and the U.S. Department of Transportation.

More information is available by contacting Clint Schelbitzki of Union Pacific at 817-353-7256.